The Radical Film, Jan. 26
Tout Va Bien (All's Well) directed by Jean-Luc Godard and Jean-Pierre Gorin (France/Italy, 1972) Bill Nichols, "Ideology and Cinema" Jean-Luc Comolli and Jean Narboni, "Cinema/Ideology/Criticism" ---------------------- Since this is our first wiki post, I'm feeling generous and have provided this sample of what you might produce. ---------------------- In lecture, Professor Columpar emphasized how ideology can be understood in terms of images, following Bill Nichols who explains that ideology is a determining force in how one thinks of oneself and one’s place within society. In Comolli and Narboni’s essay, they state that some films are able to resist a dominant ideology by working against it on two levels: the signified (for example, the idea or object of focus) and the signifier (for example, the form of representation taken by the signified). Tout va bien encapsulates these concepts when it physically exposes the internal structure of the meat factory and viewers see the setting of the performance. Whereas we might expect that a different kind of film would portray the factory (the signified) as an unquestioned space, Tout va bien asks its viewers to look directly at how the workplace is constructed and how work is therein performed. ---------------------- Jessica Rapson Professor Columpar quoted Comolli and Narboni's Cinema/Ideology/Criticism in her statement that "every film is political". That is to say that every film is influenced by the ideology that is present in the society in which it is created, and in essence films are created by that same ideology. In the context of the statement, ideology refers to "an internalized image of one’s place within all of the social dynamics related to power and ideology” (Nichols, 287). In other words, ideology reflects a perceived position in society and perceived relations to other social positions. Professor Columpar emphasized how most films perpetuate dominant ideology and are conventional in both content and form, replicating the ideology that produces them. However, some films resist dominant ideology and "attack ideological assimilation" in both form and content. These are known as radical films, of which Tout va Bien is an example. -------------------- Maxwell Koyama: To a large degree, the techniques used in radical cinema derive from those developed by Berholt Brecht for the theatre decades earlier: as prof. Columpar explained, Brecht employed a technique of alienating the audience from the play in order to encourage an intellectual relationship with the work rather than an emotional one. Godard makes use of what could be called a cinematic interpretation of the Brechtian technique in Tout Va Bien ''through formally disruptive devices, such as the abnormal position of the camera in and length of the shot of the grocery store cashiers. By placing the focal point of the shot in the background while what is ostensibly “background action” is taking place in the foreground of the shot, Godard is forcing us to detach ourselves from what is happening on the screen, and therefore to observe it from a standpoint that is conducive to more rigorous analysis. This example explains the significance of ''formal resistance ''as well as subversive content as discussed in ''Cinema/Ideology/Criticism: ''by deviating from cinematic norms designed to make the viewing experience as coherent, natural, relatable etc. as possible, subversive films translate Brecht’s theories of theatre onto the screen. ---------------------- Abigayle King: Professor Columpar focused part of her lecture on Capitalism and its relation to radical film. She stated that in Marx’s eyes, Capitalism is dependent on the exploitation of the majority at the hands of the minority. One of its main focuses is on doing as well as possible in the economic market. Within the reading passage by Nichols, dominant and alternative ideologies hold a large portion of the writing. The alternative ideologies are stated as a challenge or resistance to the dominant ideology. This would tie into the screening for this week; ''Tout Va Bien, where the workers go against the dominant or established ideology of Capitalism and protest their working conditions. It takes a deep look into Social Capitalism. The clearest way the film shows Capitalism is through the class struggle scene between the manager and workers. The workers are the way for the owners to make a profit and reach ahead, and as a result, the working conditions are not relevant. ---------------------- Francisco Kim: The 'Alienation effect' mentioned in lecture is utilized very heavily in Tout va Bien. The first few scenes immediately takes the audience out of the film, portraying a (scripted) look behind the preproduction of the film we are about to watch. This continues once the film 'really' begins, as discontinuous editing, jarring cuts, and (almost) fourth-wall breaking character 'interviews' ensure that we are constantly aware that we are watching a film. While the subject matter of Tout va Bien is heavily political (as is every film, as we learned in lecture), it is this radical style of filmmaking that really stands out. That being said, the film's odd style is likely a result of the political message, or rather, the result of how the director chose to convey this message. The excerpt from Comolli and Narboni mention how often times when a film tries to convey an ideology, it is overpowered or muddled simply by being presented to us through a cinematic framework. Tout va Bien is the opposite, while the film does deconstruct and subvert traditional filmmaking, that may simply be a byproduct of putting the message above the medium. Elements of filmmaking are sacrificed for the sake of the message. ---------------------- Xinyi Wang (Victoria): In the lecture, professor Columpar emphasized on the connection between ideology and filmmaking. According to what she said, every film is a political process which gets the leading idea from the ideology of society. In Tout va Bien, we can see the interaction between factory and viewers who were influence by it. Even though the style and narrative method confused me a little bit, I can still get the internal relationship of ideology and policy to lead things happen (as it is said in the article: everything is perfectly natural). Things may happen dramatically in a film, but if we can dig deeper, we will see that elements and messages are connected politically (by ideology). ---------------------- Artur Galvao: A large part of the Radical Film is to reject the normative conventions of regular cinema. As Professor Columpar detailed in Lecture, Brecht employed techniques such random period interruptions of the narrative by having a character directly address the audience, however he or she would do this out of character. This is purposely done to ensure that the audience feels alienated. Even though other types of film, such as Avant-garde or the art film, choose to reject regular cinematic conventions, they differ from the Radical Film. Avant-garde weird almost for the sake of being weird, and the art does implement that however, the art film doesn't allow for complete deterioration of the narrative structure. The Radical Film does so in order to go against capitalist dominant conventions, as expressed by Professor Columopar and the critical essay, is entirely political in sense. This can shown in the film that we had to watch for this section titled Tout Va Bien, ''the story and the style at points make no sense but what always apparent is the movies political commentary. ---------------------- Crystal Yi: Every film is political, inasmuch as it determined by the ideology which produces it. Also, Reality is an expression of the prevailing ideology. For example, tools and techniques of filmmaking are a part of 'reality'. The classic theory of cinema that camera is an impartial instrument which grasps, or rather is impregneted by, the world in its 'concrete reality' is an eminently reactionary one. What the camera in fact registers is the vague, unformulated, untheorized, unthought-out world of the dominant ideology. ---------------------- --------------- Abby Keith: In this week's lecture, Professor Columpar went over radical film and its connections to Marxism and communism. Marxism is based on the theories of Karl Marx that examines class relations and conflict. Communism is an ideology based on the idea that society should replace competition with cooperation. In the reading by Bill Nichols, ideology as a repressive force is discussed. The dominant ideology reinforces itself by claiming that it is the natural way of things so that it is not questioned. This is where resistant films such as ''Tout Va Bien are created. In this film, the workers in the sausage factory the story centers on are on strike following the class struggle in France at the time. Overall, the film examines the problems with capitalism, to which communism is the counter to. This all connects because the workers were overcoming the dominant ideology, capitalism, and exploring mindsets such as communism in the process. ---------------------- Kelc Noble: When discussing Radical Films in class Professor Columpar, mentions a Germany playwright and theatrical reformer by the name of Bertolt Brecht. He had a way of producing work that pushed the audience to think about what has happened instead of getting emotionally involved with what they were witnessing. He often employed an alienation effect and had radical breaks that were different from traditional theatrical form. Radical Films are made to be different from film's that are considered to be traditional or ordinary; they reject standard film conventions. Within the first few scenes of movie Tout Va Bien, the ‘Alienation Effect' was introduced by the performers who distanced themselves from the audience. The film had a strong political message however the story presented was sometimes confusing and did not make a lot of sense. The use of the technique breaking the fourth wall forced me as a viewer to remember that I was watching a movie. In the film long takes and discontinuity editing, where other techniques present. They made me think about the meaning of the movie and steers me away from only focusing on the film's diegesis. ---------------------- Christine Cameron In the lecture, Professor Columpar explained that the manifest ideology in films show what we believe to be factual, normal parts of our lives, when in reality these facts have been socially constructed and may or may not be true. Nichols describes it in the same way, adding “…ideology describes the lens through which individuals see and understand how they fit into the social world around them” (Nichols, 287). I’m not going to use the diegetic events in the film as an example, but rather the editing style itself. My example of ideology in the film Tout Va Bien (1972) is how both the main characters in the film work for the media in a sense; both would be familiar with how media editing and manipulation works, and the editing of the film itself reflects their ideals. The way the film draws attention to the diegesis allows us to see that the characters act like they know they are in a film, and the way the film is edited- by ignoring the convention of continuity editing- draws attention to media manipulation and how we view the story. One of the ideologies at play here is about how it is a “truth”- or a social norm- that film is used to portray events and issues by the use of editing; we are seeing a socially constructed film (ie: we see the issues happening in the film, but it is the way the film is constructed/edited that really brings out the tension and the issues- we value the construction as socially comprehensible). The social dynamics that are portrayed in the film are reflected in the way that the images are manipulated by editing. ---------------------- Nicolas Uribe Bill Nichol's Ideology and The Cinema ''demonstrates that ideology serves as a platform for an individuals social membership, thought, and relationship between his/her role in society and its institutions. Moreover, Nichols explains that ideology has two sides: a dominant ideology that "upholds the existing relations of power" (289) through the hegemony (where the members of society maintain the social order); as well as alternative ideologies which exist to challenge the dominant ideology. Professor Columpar uses the example of Marxist scholar, Louis Althusser, to indicate that the capitalist system which upholds class differentiation is perpetuated through two types of institutional systems: Repressive state apparatuses and ideological state apparatuses. Professor Columpar correlates this political ideology with the Radical film, a type of film which uses non conventional techniques to challenge dominant ideology. The filmic text speaks for itself. The spectator should not feel the contents of the film, but rather think through the political undertones. In Godard's ''Tour Va Bien, ''the characters are representative of both sides of the ideology; some characters belong to the proletariat (or the working class) while others, to the bourgeoisie (the elite, or owners of production). This polarization creates a tense environment in which the alternative ideology is brought forth to the surface of the text to critique class differences, exploitation of the working class, and the general alienation of those at the bottom of the production system. ---------------------- Tian Sang In the lecture, Professor Columpar explained that ideology can have strong impact on individuals' mind and make them believe in that ideology system. By referring to Bill Nichols idea that ideology is " lens through which individuals see and understand how they fit into the social world", Professor gives us an idea that how film can turn us into subjects in ideology by interpellation and appellation. Also, by giving the state that "his tory of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles", Professor Columpar provides a specific example of the origin of the ideology---the struggle between Bourgeoisie and Proletariat. In fact, in film ''Tout va Bien, this struggle is clearly reflected by revealing the process of how a meat factory gradually turns into a camp for all radicals which also reflects the political background of the film. ---------------------- Ivy Li A very powerful definition of radical film was given in Cinema/Ideology/Criticism, “Every film is political, inasmuch as it is determined by the ideology which produces it.” Thus draw forth to the definition of ideology, which were described in the lecture as an individual’s understanding of the social dynamics. Therefore by revealing the norms, believes, values and practices, radical films have the ability of catch the mind of people. Professor Columpar also introduced that what the spectators recognized as reality in the radical film is dominated by ideology by both its context and its form, and how it requires the spectators to think instead of emote. This property has manifested itself in the way the film Tout Va Bien addressed social issues. The use of off-screen voice force we as audience to follow the character’s train of thought, and look for the reason behind the main character’s difficulties (unable to publish her report), which involves the power and hierarchy of some political classes. ---------------------- Uri Goldberg: Professor Columpar explained in lecture that the radical film’s main purpose is to defy ideology. She mentioned that a radical filmmaker’s best method of defying ideology is by breaking conventions. She used Bill Nichols’ definition of ideology as a way of looking at a person’s position in society as well as how a person sees themselves. In the essay by Jean-Luc Comolli and Jean Narboni they sate that “all movies are political” and that it is impossible for a movie to escape ideology even if it is criticizing it. The movie Tout Va Bien,'' by Jean-Luc Godard, defied both the capitalist ideology and the unions’ response to it by showing the poor working conditions of the meat industry workers as well as the insanely monotonous jobs they had. He also breaks film conventions by editing the same shots over and over again (which disrupts continuity) and with the long supermarket shot that in which the action is superimposed by a foreground of cashiers doing the same monotonous work. ---------------------- Lola Lagji The quote “Every film is political” is evidently relevant to ''Tout va bien, the film we watched in today’s lecture. Mentioned in lecture was this quote; “Ideology is an internalized image of one’s place within all of the social dynamics related to power and ideology” (287). The ideology in Tout va bien had to do with the difference in the classes and the class struggle. In the film, there were many scenes where the audience could see the fight and struggle that the lower classes had. To help prove the first quote “every film is political”, the conflicts in the stories in almost every film have some kind of political and economical conflict. ---------------------- ------------------------ Yao Chen: Professor Columpar explained in lecture that radical films serve to attack and resist the dominant ideology. In Tout Va Bien, the ideology (defined by Bill Nichols as an internalized image of one’s place within all of social dynamics related to power and hierarchy.) revolves around capitalism. The film constantly exposes its viewers to the brutal and oppressive working conditions that forced reasonable people to take action against the factory. Whereas films imbued with the dominant ideology would perhaps portrait an environment where the capitalist was absolute. Through the representation of the factory, Tout Va Bien criticizes the dominant ideology of capitalism in order to deliver its political message. ------------------------- Jordan Yang (ZiQi Yang) In Tout Va Bien a bourgeois couple is depicted. The film shows them put into a state of crisis which forces them to reconsider their relationship and their social situation. Throughout the movie, the audience is implicitly invited to approve the development of the characters. The characters' growth in self-criticism and self-awareness is demonstrated. It affects the audience, provokes their abilities to generate theoretical reflection. Just like what Professor Columpar explained in the lecture, radical films go against the mainstream ideology. Forcing audience to reconsider what the the real "world" behind this artificial "world" carefully constructed by media. Godard asks for theoretical reflection at a certain level of abstract. ------------------------- Tua Hytönen In lecture Professor Columpar discussed how an inspector watching a film can be capable of identifying themselves in a film either through a character. This is because some films are realistic, in the sense of having a setting of "real" events, events that the viewer is capable of imagining of happening to themselves. However, these events are never actual "reality", it is simply a representation of a reality. In Tout Va Bien this representation is brought up well from the beginning, as we hear cuts being made for the film. Throughout the film, there are many examples that bring us out of the experience of watching something that would be "real", as a character either directly speaks towards the camera, or we hear their thoughts. The way the film has been constructed in this sense goes with how Nichols talks about how ideologies work in a way of how individuals see themselves. In the film, we are brought into a sense of reality from which we are able to identify ourselves from, but occasionally reminded that it is simply a film that you are watching, a construction of reality. Our ideologies are capable of changing through these changes, or at least being affected by this reminder. ------------------------ Hunter Scharfe: The radical film is almost completely focused on using techniques that reject the conventions of the conventional film. In an attempt to visually disrupt the viewer, many techniques are utilized including the alienation effect which Professor Columpar discussed in lecture. In Tout Va Bien, the audience is immediately jarred at the beginning of the film as a male and female narrator discuss how the film we are about to watch should begin. This technique forces the viewer to feel like he/she is hearing a discussion about the pre-production of Tout Va Bien. These alienation techniques are used throughout the film, most notably with the lack of a fourth wall in the office set where the first half of the film is shot. The viewer is literally looking at a cross section of a building, which is once again jarring and unrealistic. This, combine with disruptful and perplexing editing techniques and the scenes where the actors talk directly to the camera, almost addressing the audience in an interview style, are used together to create the 'radical' cinematic experience. In Bill Nichols's essay Ideology and Cinema, he explains that ideology is the way in which we see ourselves, and how we perceive ourselves in society in terms of control and social stature. Using this definition of ideology, Professor Columpar discussed the prominent and relevant example of the struggle between Bourgeoisie and Proletariat and how their own ideologies clash in their conflict. This exact same struggle of ideology is seen in Tout Va Bien with the ideological struggle between the factory manager, and the striking workers. The workers, who are displeased with low wages and poor working conditions, are using their own ideologies to change their social stature. ------------------------- Olivia (Jin Wang) In the lecture, Professor Columpar emphasized that ideology can be produced and explained by the "truth" in the world, but the society always is capable of determining those "truth" and the generation of ideology. In Tout Va Bien, there are scenes of the militant factory workers being brutally repressed by the police where even one of the workers is murdered and a long scene of the workers being marched in a line on the way to jail. These scenes reflect how capitalism pressures workers, which the director aims to be against the dominant ideology in the film. It indicates how ideology be influenced by the society rather than the "truth" around us. ------------------------- Alina Seropian Prof. Columpar introduced Marxism with the following quote from Communist Manifesto “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.” Jean-Luc Godard in Tout Va Bien portrays various struggles. There is a point in the film when Suzanne questions Jacques about what they do. This film constantly provokes Brecht’s epic theatre and its alienation effect by jumping back and forth between micro and macro scale of the society and sociology. It begins as a story of filmmakers wanting to write on representation of reality through daily mundane tasks, yet each character depicts their lives as “pre” and “post”May 1968. Without doubt this film is a clearly portraying politics and the state of the Paris; at times uses documentary style to prove it is radical and has elements of the realism. It does not start and end as a well written story,in fact it is uses “slice of life” approach. Perhaps, according to Comolli and Narboni Tout Va Bien is a cinema direct it uses “a sense of lived experience” and“flashes of intense truth” to differentiate itself from other types of film. ------------------------- Katy (Katrine) Czajkowski Radical films are that which demonstrate the issues of the institution through the use of the institution. The article “Cinema/Ideology/Criticism” states that films are in fact simply “a particular product, manufactured within a given system of economic relations and involving labour”. This in every essence does not only describe that which is a film, but also the foundation of our capitalistic society. “No filmmaker can, by his own individual efforts, change the economic relations governing manufacture and distribution of his films” and this is the sole reason that film makers are entrapped within the bounds of the greedy, profit-motivated, right-wing market. The dominant culture has spread itself into every facet of our lives, including artistic endeavors such as films and therefore the radical film must signify the magnitude of this issue while complying with the rules of this system of beliefs. Professor Columpar’s lecture gave a brief introduction into Marxism, which highlights the condemnations of capitalism, and also introduced us to some of the methods that the radial film uses to signify these issues. What I found most interesting is that some of the resolutions are deployed through manipulation of the issues presented with capitalism. For example, Marxism indicates that the relationship that capitalism induces between workers and the workforce alienates them from the product and transforms the worker into a part of the machine. In Columpar’s lecture, she introduced us to Brecht’s alienation techniques in theatre which transitioned theatre away from the emotional catharsis that it was into an intellectual experience. This technique was definitely employed in the film Tout Va Bien as there was no emotional connection with any of the characters, however the audience walked out of the film with an intense understanding of the detrimental results of capitalistic exploitation. The film’s use of realism induced a completely different filmic experience because the audience is not divulged into a fictitious, fairy-tale and engaged purely for entertainment. The way that the lives of the characters are introduced and performed radiates authentically rather than commercially, which displays the political ideology of the film quite beautifully. __________________________________________ Ana María Higuera In this week's discussions of ideology and film we were exposed to larger concepts which permeate cinema and film making but are not necessarily explicitly perceived or addressed by films and film makers across all genres like they are in radical film, which takes these issues as the basis of its filmic purpose. Although all films may be political in nature because they are looking to reproduce a perceived reality and thus in a way concede to their own artificiality, it is the radical film that takes a political consciousness to the next level. And this consciousness or awareness of the existence of dominant thus normalized ideologies and hegemonies in contrast to alternative realities or possibilities of social reengineering, possibilities of another world, that sets the radical film apart. Not only does the radical film critique conventional film but society and its values as a whole, exposing the deficits of dominant society and its naturalized hierarchies of power and subjugation. The ideological state apparatus is brought to light by radical films, and injustices that were once seen as 'normal' or simply how things are, shift to a new awareness of the need for those beliefs to change. In "Tout vá bien" this is all illustrated, from alternative fi techniques like having the actors adress the audience to the representation of workers becoming aware of their exploitation and demanding a change in the status quo. The film and other radical films makes the audience think about things they would have otherwise taken for granted as the way the world is, it creates a space for a shift in consciousness if not a space for revolutionary Ideologies to occur.